March 2022
News + Updates
Highlights
Availability Study for the Philadelphia Office of Economic Opportunity
The City of Philadelphia is committed to helping all people thrive and has designed policies to reflect that commitment. Through the Office of Economic Opportunity the City pursues these policies. ESI completed research, surveys, and analyses to propose recommendations for OEO contracting policies.
RAISE Grants: Applications due April 14
We have a successful track record of helping our client access multi-million dollar awards for their transportation infrastructure projects.
Journal of Housing Economics
The Journal of Housing Economics has published Effects of Concentrated LIHTC Development on Surrounding House Prices, a research paper on the impacts of low-income housing on property value, co-authored by ESI Principal Richard Voith and Jing Liu, former director at ESI.
AARP Discriminatory Housing Practices Assessment
ESI recently completed a study for AARP examining fair housing policies across the US. Our research is helping the organization develop recommendations for its state advocacy offices to guide them in supporting accessible housing policies.
Philadelphia's Fiscal Future
The Pew Charitable Trusts, in collaboration with the William Penn Foundation, worked with ESI on the second brief in their Philadelphia's Fiscal Future series. For 4 Possible Scenarios for Philadelphia's Economy, ESI examined the city's economy as a whole and its various sectors and demographic groups, with a focus on those that did not benefit from the pre-COVID pandemic prosperity.
Staff and Senior Advisor Updates
Frank Robinson has been elected to the executive committee of the Philadelphia LAI Chapter- Lambda Alpha International, the Honorary Society for the Advancement of Land Economics and has been selected to serve on the investment committee of the Jubilee Impact Fund – National Social Impact Fund supporting community development projects.
ESI congratulates Senior Advisor Rysheema Dixon for her company, RD Innovative Planning, is expanding internationally into Liberia at the end of March to build and develop social enterprises.
Senior Advisor Bernard Anderson has received the Labor and Employment Relations Association's (LERA) 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award. This prestigious award demonstrates the great respect that the members of LERA have for Bernard's contributions to the field.
Senior Advisor Joyce Lee was appointed by the Mayor of Philadelphia as an inaugural commissioner at the Environmental Justice Advisory Commission.
Bernard Markstein produced a report on estimates of December state construction unemployment rates for the Associated Builders and Contractors. He also made presentations to two conferences sponsored by the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) in February. Both presentations, “State of the PHCC Economy,” were given to the PHCC's Quality Service Contractors Power Meeting 2022, and to their Construction Contractors Alliance Spring Conference 2022.
Maud Lyon has been developing a strategic plan for the Belle Isle Conservancy, the private-sector park support organization for Detroit's 982-acre island park in the Detroit River.
Update from the Center
Team members of ESI Center for the Future of Cities, our newest thought leadership initiative, are gearing up for timely, in-depth explorations of topics that are important to city leaders: Rethinking Quality of Place; A New Approach to Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystems; and Redefining Smart and Connected Communities. These issues affect cities of all sizes, in regions across the U.S. To learn more and get involved, contact Steve Wray, wray@econsultsolutions.com.
U.S. - China Research
The Impact of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict on Global Financial Markets

Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, the global capital markets had experienced the initial plunge on February 24, and then stabilized and rebounded in the second trading day on February 25.
Present Value
Expert Views: Developing an Equitable Growth Strategy for Cities
by Lee Huang and Frank Robinson
ESI Senior advisors sat down to discuss what an equitable growth strategy should look like for cities as we emerge from the pandemic that addresses economic inequalities
Addressing the Systematic Inequalities to Foster Equitable Growth
by Michael Pearson
Senior Advisor, Michael Pearson, breaks down current racial issues, the effects on minority businesses, a ways to promote change to make the city more inclusive.
Rosalyn McPherson explains the result of COVID in relation to children in economically challenged neighborhoods and their scholastic success.
ESI intern Kendra Hills makes the case for public libraries as a key resource in the future, smart inclusive city.
by Catherine Timko
Retail and Economic Development expert and ESI Senior Advisor Catherine Timko explains what the disruptors mean for business districts.
by ESI's Principals
The ESI Principals reflect on the past two years of pandemic disruption and reaffirm a commitment to the future of cities. The best is yet to come!
Client Spotlight
DCED is now accepting applications for the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) Multimodal Transportation Fund (MTF) program. Applications through the Electronic Single Application (ESA) are accepted through July 31st, 2022.

The Battery, Lubert-Adler Real Estate Funds’ redevelopment of the Philadelphia Electric Co.’s former Delaware Generating Station in Fishtown, has been under construction since early 2020. Now, the first phase is set to deliver a mix of uses in less than a year.

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